Loose, Airy Buds?

We all know that tight and solid nugs are preferred. So, what do you attempt to do to correct the problem? For most growers the problem is simply the heat temps being too high. Adding a cooling unit easily solves this issue. But what if your temps are right on the money? They may need more potassium.

Near the end of flowering, plants don’t need additional nitrogen or phosphorus in the feeding schedule. Instead of continuing to give your plants supplements derived from potassium nitrate or mono-potassium phosphate, try a potassium supplement derived from potassium sulfate, which provides the potassium boost plants need without any additional nitrates or phosphates.

Potassium (K) is a catalyst for carbohydrate metabolism, so if your plants don’t get the amount they need, sugar production slows down and your plants have a hard time storing up the energy they need for fruit and flower development. Plant growth stalls, and the quality of flowers declines. To keep the quality of your flowers high, potassium supplements can make a big difference.

What Nutrient Supplements to Add

Without question, if you want to push your plants to reach their true genetic potential, always add potassium supplements to your feeding schedule during the heavy flowering period. But how do you know which potassium supplements work the best?

It’s always best to use the purest, most water-soluble forms of potassium you can find. Generally speaking, try to stay away from agricultural-grade potassium supplements if you can. They often use a chemical extraction process and may have unacceptable levels of impurities.

How Much Potassium is Too Much Potassium?

So how do you know how much is too much? Your plants will tell you. For example, potassium toxicity commonly shows up as a magnesium deficiency, as potassium and magnesium ions can compete with one another for uptake by the plant.

Magnesium deficiency shows up in the older growth near the bottom of the plant as interveinal chlorosis. In other words, the veins of the lower leaves stay green, but the tissue between the veins will start to turn yellow.

If you start to see symptoms of magnesium deficiency, back off on your potassium supplements a little. And don’t worry; correcting a magnesium deficiency is easy. Simply add a little calcium and magnesium supplement (Cal-mag) to your nutrient solution or spray a mild solution of magnesium sulfate on the bottom leaves of your plants. The leaves will green up in a matter of days.